It was late at night, when ZaiWin¹Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). made his way back to Rain’s house. The entire village was enveloped in deep silence, the only visible lights coming from the small windows cut on the hard stone, leading to the bedrooms where the fire would burn until morning. ZaiWin knew that, by the village’s entrance, two men would stand guard the entire night, but Rain’s house was too far from the narrow stone tunnel for him to be able to see them.

The small cave-house was also silent and dark but, as always, a fire had been lit in his bedroom, making it much more inviting and warm.

At first glance, the bedroom looked just as empty as the room downstairs, but by now ZaiWin was all too accustomed to finding the bed empty, unless he went to sleep at the same time as the boy. And so it didn’t take him too long to find the small human bundle nestled on the ground, next to the bed.

With a sigh, ZaiWin sat down on the bed and simply looked at him.

Make him an official Tien’Elhar²Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language., VinWei³Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) had suggested. That small bundle of a person that still couldn't stand to sleep on a bed? Would Snow be able to do what needed to be done to convince all those people? To convince the Temple and the royals, and all those who would do their best to completely discredit him?

Releasing another sigh, ZaiWin knelt down, ready to pick him up and place him on the bed, like he’d done every time he had found him sleeping on the ground, but stopped himself. He would be forced to sleep on beds a lot, from now on. There was no way they could have the Temple's attendants find the honorable Tien'Elhar sleeping on the floor. Let him sleep the way he liked, for as long as he could, ZaiWin decided, sitting down instead, his back against the hard wall. Looking down, he caught a glimpse of a small patch of silver hair, the only thing visible from the wrapped bundle he’d become.

They would teach him, VinWei had said. Teach him how to be a perfect, flawless Tien’Elhar.

He did not wish to teach him anything!, ZaiWin frowned, clenching his fists, his heart drumming hard against his chest at the thought.

Teach him how to correctly bow his head, how to smile when others talked to him, how to be polite and respectful, how to walk, sit, or eat! He didn’t want to teach him any of that! In the end, they would be teaching him how to be a mindless doll like all the other freaking Celestials!

He’d much rather teach him how to ride, or how to shoot with a bow. How to climb a tree or how to distinguish between the different birds from their call. These were things he knew that Snow would love to know. Things that would make those pale eyes glow with genuine curiosity and enthusiasm.

What if he actually became a mindless doll like the rest of them? The thought alone was enough to make his chest ache. He didn’t want that!

Sure, the fact that Snow was different was, and would always be, a headache on its own. But he had become … fond of the brat's weirdness. ZaiWin did not want him to change. Not like that. If he did change like that, it would be the same as ... losing him. Forever.

Pealing himself from the wall, he laid down beside him and wrapped his arms around that small human ball, pulling him closer against his chest. The boy didn’t complain. Didn’t make a move to avoid the contact, even though ZaiWin knew that there was no way he hadn’t woken up.

Burying his nose on his silver hair, ZaiWin took a deep breath and was finally able to relax. Snow smelled of the same scent that still lingered in the air, his hair still half-damp.

ZenTar⁴Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) had stated that he was willing to hide him in some dark hole for the rest of his life. Back then a big part of him had actually been inclined to agree. A dark hole, where no one would ever find him. Where no one could ever hurt him. Above all, a place where no one could simply go and take away what was righteously his.

ZaiWin closed his eyes and squeezed him a little harder.

His! Celestial or not, boy or girl, that child belonged to him! It had belonged to him since the moment he had laid eyes on that huge, dark gaze. And ZaiWin did not want to have to share him with anyone else! Not the people of Wen. Not the Temple. Most certainly not those arrogant bastards from the Palace. Not even with VinWei or ZenTar! He would be happy if Snow would freeze them both as they were, right now. If they could sleep peacefully like this, in silence, forever.

“Nothing is yours! Repeat it!! Nothing is yours!”, came that angry voice again. A cherished voice. A voice he missed more than anything in the world, but that he could only recall saying those angry words. Not even she had been his.

Nothing is mine, ZaiWin obediently repeated in his thoughts. Not his life. Much less the life of the one he was holding.

But couldn’t he have just this little thing, just this one time?, he dared hope. Would it work if he prayed for it? Would the Heavens listen to his prayers just this once?

The cold hand that touched his, softly covering it, startled ZaiWin, and made him realize that he’d probably been squeezing him a bit too hard.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep,” he whispered in the dark but didn’t receive a reply, not even one of Snow's usual nods. Only the timid way those small fingers kept lightly fluttering over his hand told him that he was actually awake.

Opening his hand, ZaiWin captured Snow’s hand in one single gesture, making the small bundle in his arms jump.

Mine!, he thought with a smile, lacing his fingers with his so that there was no way Snow could escape him. Nuzzling his soft, silver hair, ZaiWin took a deep breath of contentment.

Snow blinked, looking at his poor hand, now completely wrapped by that other, much larger and warmer hand, both of them resting practically in front of his nose.

He had felt ZaiWin’s dark mood grow and expand, making the dim light of the room look even dimmer, and he had hoped that some … human contact? would make him feel better. Like what ZaiWin normally did with him, he’d thought, when he gently touched his head. That always helped him relax.

And so, even though at first Snow had decided to pretend that he was still asleep since he was supposed to be kind of angry at ZaiWin for sending him away and all that, Snow had still wanted to somehow repay him and … comfort him back?

In truth, Snow didn’t know much about how people went about doing such things, or if he was even supposed to worry about something like that. But he still had wanted to do something … even if he was just being silly. And so, the only thing he had been able to remember was the way Sand used to gently pat his hand, when he woke up scared, in the middle of the night. Snow had … kind of tried doing the same thing for him … How … why had it turned out like this?, he wondered, looking at his poor, restraining hand, his skin quickly warming up from being in contact with his.

Well, ZaiWin did feel more relaxed, Snow thought, noticing that the arms around him weren’t squeezing him anymore.

He had grown used to sleeping near ZaiWin, but he still didn’t like the feeling of someone glued like that to his back. Still, as things stood, Snow did not dare move another inch. And was ZaiWin really intending to sleep on the floor as well? Was this his way of punishing him for refusing to sleep on the bed?

The way ZaiWin nuzzled his head and the soft breath that warmed his neck made him shiver. Snow closed his eyes, doing his best to remain completely motionless. His heart was beating way too fast!, he tried to calm it down. He knew he was safe in this place, and yet his heart kept beating as if he was running for his life. With the difference that it felt warm … way too warm. Not even Sand’s arms had been this warm.

Forcing himself to ignore his nonsensical heart, Snow did his best to fall asleep.

Silvareiel

Aw these two... ?️?️?️